Jim Lehrer: The master of moderation

On Oct. 3, for the first time in the 2012 campaign, President Barack Obama and GOP nominee Mitt Romney will face each other in what many consider the most important event between now and the Nov. 6 election: the first presidential debate. After months of surrogate-led proxy wars and brutal attack ads, the Democratic and Republican nominees will finally stand alone — without communications directors or campaign aides — as they fight for the confidence of the American people.

Alone, that is, save for the company of a 78-year-old man named Jim Lehrer.

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For the 12th time in the history of the televised presidential debates, Lehrer, the executive editor of PBS Newshour, has been asked to serve as moderator, making him by far the most experienced such moderator in modern history — a task for which Lehrer, more than any other journalist, is uniquely suited, according to his contemporaries.

“Jim’s reputation is unassailable. He reeks integrity,” Tom Brokaw, the veteran “NBC Nightly News” anchor, told POLITICO. “He knows that his role there is to make this about the two canidates, not about him.”

“Jim is the best person for the job, the straightest guy in this profession, and absolutely trustworthy,” said Robert MacNeil, Lehrer’s longtime co-host on the “MacNeil/Lehrer Report.” “His idea of fairness is fiercer than anyone’s — he has an almost religious respect for being fair. He stays so far out of the political swamps that he doesn’t even vote.”

But at a time when the electorate is as divided as ever, and when media scrutiny is more intense than ever, his is a task that carries unprecedented responsibility. Lehrer, colleagues and campaign strategists say, must ask tough, substantive questions and yet maintain total impartiality. He must shepherd the candidates through a range of topics while allowing them to drive the debate. And he must push Obama and Romney for genuine responses without injecting himself into the conversation.

If anyone can walk that tightrope, it’s Lehrer, whose commitment to fairness, sense of modesty and professional experience — developed over more than five decades in newspaper then television journalism — have earned him the respect of political strategists across the ideological spectrum.

“I do not think you can do better than Jim Lehrer to moderate a debate,” Charlie Black, who worked on the Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and John McCain campaigns, told POLITICO. “Jim handles the job the way it needs to be done. He asks the tough questions that keep the candidates debating, he keeps them on the issues.”

“He’s the Ed Hochuli,” Chris Lehane, who worked in the Clinton administration and served as Al Gore’s campaign press secretary, said, comparing Lehrer to the respected NFL referee. “He really is the ultimate referee, the ultimate umpire: someone who is perceived by the public as being genuinely objective.”

Will Lehrer ask the tough follow-up questions, when the candidates evade him?

Where does fairness stop and bias begin?

AngelEyez: Sep. 29, 2012 - 7:21 AM EST

Lehrer's biasness will favor Obama.

The second I saw this headline I knew I'd see pre-emptive Lehrer attacks from the handful of Young republicans just firing up the HB Gary platform to artificially manufacture today's steaming load of Romney support.

I sure hope Lehrer (or Obama) brings up all of Romney's flip flops on sooooo many issues (abortion, gay rights, health care, immigration, gun rights, etc.). Obama should look at Romney and ask him which Romney he will be debating that night (the moderate Romney or the ultra conservative Romney). Obama should go into the debate being as sweet as he can be and almost ignore Romney's attacks because that will get under Mitt's skin and he will become flustered. He should play "reverse psychology" with Mitt and ask him how Americans can really trust what he says as he has been on so many sides of an issue and won't even be transparent on his taxes like his father and other presidential candidates.

If Romney gets too mean spirited then Obama should let him have it and talk about all his flip flops and the 47% quote.

Knowing what you all know ... and seeing what you've all seen ... and reading what you've all read so far this election season ... would anyone like to venture a guess as to how the 1st debate will be reported afterward?